Read Across America

I know as homeschoolers, we often feel that the public school system and the National Education Association are against us.  Sometimes they are, and sometimes they are not.   I would like us to consider joining in their Read Across America drive March 2, 2012.

"But why on earth would we do anything like that with those people?"

Reading is important and fun.  Reading can make or break a student.  Even though I love reading, some of my children really don't.  I have a desire to foster a love of reading in my children, just as the NEA desires to foster a love of reading to public school students.  To be fair, we are educators as well even if our venues are different.

There are two basic reasons why I am going to participate in this year's Reading Across America:

1. I hope that any increased interest in reading will raise funding in Libraries, which I use constantly in my homeschooling.  We are always in the local public library and I get frustrated when they don't have a book I would like.  When children are reading, libraries get books.  It's that simple.

2.  I find that sometimes I need the encouragement to sit down and read aloud to my children.  There are many of them here ;-)  And I can get bogged down with my daily routine.  There have been studies done concerning the benefits of reading aloud to your children.  We read books on our road trips and the kids love it.  I need to incorporate reading aloud into our school week.  It would also help me to remember to snuggle with my kids on a regular basis, since that seems to be some of their love languages (and it is certainly not mind).

You don't have to pledge your classroom or sign up for anything with the NEA.  But I would like to encourage all of us to sit down with our kids and read a book to them.  Not just on March 2, but often.  Happy reading!!